Too many LinkedIn users post content they hope will gain traction. But they have no real data to back up that hope.

Unfortunately, relying on spontaneous posts that don’t resonate is not an effective LinkedIn posting strategy.

Want to build a personal brand that matches your expertise and boasts thought leadership? You need to:

• Stop randomly posting content.
• Start using a proven system.

In this post, you’ll learn to avoid the guesswork and take a savvy, data-driven approach. Read on to discover the evidence-based path to creating engaging content for LinkedIn.

Why Content Creation Matters on LinkedIn

Content fuels LinkedIn and helps you prove expertise, build authority, and expand your network.

On this platform, professionals come to learn, connect, and engage. Unlike other social networks, users aren’t scrolling aimlessly. They’re actively seeking:

• Insights
• Ideas
• Opportunities

The algorithm expects you to meet the demand and will reward you with visibility. All it takes is for you to share valuable content consistently.

So, strategic content creation can quickly make you a top LinkedIn voice.

At Crackerjack Marketing, we specialize in crafting and managing LinkedIn profiles that position executives as industry leaders.

Contact us today if you need help creating and implementing your content strategy. Through our LinkedIn marketing services, you’ll post content that builds your brand from day one.

Steps for Creating Engaging Content for LinkedIn

Growth on LinkedIn requires more than just posting content. You must create impactful posts that resonate and get people talking.

Below, you’ll see what it takes to write these posts, improve your reach, and grow your network.

1. Laser-Focus on Your Audience and Niche

Lack of clarity can make your content too generic to appeal to anyone.

That’s why the first step to creating engaging content is knowing who you’re speaking to and what they want to hear.

As an executive building thought leadership, your audience may include:

• Peers and other executives
• Potential clients or partners
• Industry influencers or analysts
• Top talent you’d like to attract

Your niche should reflect areas where you have hands-on expertise, unique insights, or strong opinions. By narrowing it down, you can:

• Offer valuable insights that address your audience’s challenges
• Build authority and trust with your ideal readers

2. Choose Your Content Approach

Once your niche is clear, decide how you’ll provide value. There are three main paths:

• Be a role model: Share insights from your experience. Help your audience learn from your successes and failures.
• Be a learner: Build and learn in public, talking about your current experiments and discoveries.
• Be a reporter: Interview experts and share their insights. Build authority through their expertise.

None of these approaches is inherently “better.” The right one depends on your expertise and comfort level in sharing personal affairs.

Regardless of the approach, always deliver value that resonates with your audience.

3. Build a Strong Persona

Your persona is the identity you project. It’s how people perceive you through what you share. So storytelling is key to building a strong persona.

Audiences connect with stories, not faceless brands. In “The Storytelling Animal,” Jonathan Gottschall perfectly explains “how stories make us human” (highly recommended reading for anyone looking to strengthen their brand).

We all love stories. A good story should be, before anything else, relatable. You don’t need to give all the details, but you have to share parts of your journey.

The easy way is to:

• Post about your challenges (which are also your audience’s) and how you overcame them.
• Keep it simple and talk about the struggles, lessons, and wins.

When people see themselves in your journey, they connect with you and your content more deeply. And they keep coming for more.

4. Stir Controversies With Purpose

Nobody engages with bland opinions. 

To get reactions, you need to provoke thought. Be bold and make statements that will trigger conversation.

But don’t be controversial for the sake of it. Instead, focus on your strong opinions, the things you genuinely believe in.

This approach encourages your audience to:

• Take a stance and share their thoughts
• Keep thinking about your content after they’ve scrolled past

Here’s an example that challenges conventional wisdom: “Most startups fail because founders focus too much on raising funds, not financial management.” Statements like this provoke engagement, whether people agree or not.

5. Write Hooks That Stops the Scroll

On LinkedIn, you compete with hundreds of posts.

Every time someone scrolls, they make split-second decisions on whether to read your post or pass by it. The secret is a strong opener. Short, impactful lines that spark curiosity are key.

For example, “Here’s why 90% of startups go broke before they hit their first million…” catches attention and makes people want to read more.

Use bullet points, short sentences, and lots of white space to make your content easy to read.

How to Develop a LinkedIn Content Calendar

Consistent posting is key for staying visible and relevant on LinkedIn. Want to avoid last-minute stress and never run out of ideas? Follow these steps and build your LinkedIn content ideas calendar:

• Set clear goals: Want to become a thought leader, grow your personal brand, or build relationships with peers? Whatever your focus, align your content with your goals to keep it strategic.
• Choose your themes: Pick 3-5 themes that align with your expertise. If you’re a marketing executive, topics like leadership, innovation, or emerging industry trends could work. Themes provide direction and make brainstorming easier.
• Mix content formats: Rotating different types of posts can take you to a winning content formula. Alternate between thought-provoking articles, quick video insights, interactive polls, and carousel posts. Carousels, in particular, with slides that encourage swiping, are great for boosting engagement.
• Plan frequency and scheduling: Decide how often you’ll post, aiming for 3-5 times a week. To stay on track, use scheduling tools like AuthoredUp, Buffer, or Hootsuite. And keep in mind that engagement tends to peak early in the workweek, so plan accordingly.

How to Do Content Marketing on LinkedIn

All the aspects we’ve covered so far are puzzle pieces of your content marketing strategy:

• Defining your audience
• Choosing your content path
• Building a strong persona
• Writing great content
• Developing a calendar

After all, content marketing is about achieving goals through strategic content. Whether you want to build authority, attract leads, or grow your network, always hit publish with purpose.

Aside from everything we’ve talked about, follow the LinkedIn content best practices below.

1. Craft Content That Solves Problems

First, identify the common pain points in your industry. You can use LinkedIn’s search tool or platforms like BuzzSumo to identify trendy topics. 

Then, create posts that address these issues, positioning yourself as the go-to expert for solutions.

2. Engage, Don’t Just Broadcast

Content without engagement means nothing.

In fact, posts with zero engagement harm your visibility. They signal the algorithm that it shouldn’t increase your reach.

To avoid this, spend time interacting with others and reply to all the comments you get.

Comment thoughtfully on the posts of industry leaders. And don’t just write “Great post!” or have ChatGPT write you a bland answer full of emoticons. Instead, add value with your insights and ask questions that take the conversation further.

Set yourself the goal of consistently interacting with your network. Over time, you’ll build a community that looks forward to engaging with your content. That’s the core of LinkedIn marketing.

3. Mix Evergreen and Timely Content

Evergreen content adds long-term value, while timely content shows you’re current with industry trends.

Balance them to stay relevant while building a solid content library.

Needless to say, content marketing on LinkedIn is a long game. Results come with time, and, at some point, you might feel overwhelmed.

When that happens, our senior LinkedIn marketers can step in. We’ll guide you through strategy and execution, crafting content in your voice that builds your brand.

If you’re ready for stress-free LinkedIn growth, contact us today. Let our team turn you into an industry leader while you focus on living experiences worth sharing.

Tips to Analyze and Optimize Your LinkedIn Content Strategy

You risk stagnating or losing touch with your audience when you don’t continuously refine your strategy. To improve your content marketing game, consider these tips:

• Track performance regularly: LinkedIn gives you valuable data on impressions, engagement, and click-through rates. Use it to double down on what resonates and adjust what doesn’t.
• Repurpose successful posts: Instead of starting from scratch, you can look for posts that performed well. Pick one and repurpose it by adding fresh insights or updating it with new data.
• Test different content formats: Experiment with text posts, videos, and carousels. See which format drives more interaction and replicate that success.
• Review image impact: Simple images often outperform complex graphics. Track the performance of visuals to find what works best for your brand.
• Ask for the conversation: Posts that ask for feedback or simply end with a question tend to drive more engagement. Don’t be afraid to tell your audience what you want to hear back from them.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Posting on LinkedIn

The LinkedIn algorithm is a beast that takes SO many things into account.

To stay relevant and grow your presence, it’s important to avoid the following mistakes:

• Posting without a plan: Random posts don’t get far. Build a strategy around your goals.
• Focusing too much on yourself: LinkedIn is about providing value. Constant self-promotion is a turnoff.
• Neglecting engagement: Lack of interaction with others’ content leads to little engagement on personal posts.
• Being too formal: LinkedIn may be professional, but overly stiff posts often fail to connect with readers.
• Ignoring analytics: When not tracking posts’ performance, valuable insights for improvement can be easily missed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below are answers to the most common LinkedIn questions to guide your approach.

How Often Should I Post on LinkedIn?

To stay relevant, aim for 3-5 posts per week. Posting more often keeps your profile active, but make sure your content provides value. Quality always beats quantity, so don’t sacrifice depth for frequency.

What Are the Best Times to Post on LinkedIn?

The best times to post are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to noon and early afternoons in the local time for your primary audience. Posting outside these times can still work, but aim for when users will most likely engage with professional content​.

Should I Use Images or Videos in My LinkedIn Posts?

Both are great for engagement. Videos are especially powerful for storytelling, but images can perform well with insightful captions. Experiment with both to see what your audience prefers. Carousels, which are multi-slide posts, are also popular for boosting interaction.

How Do I Find the Topics That Resonate Most With My LinkedIn Audience?

Use LinkedIn marketing analytics to track engagement, impressions, and click-through rates. Tools like BuzzSumo or Shield are also helpful for spotting trending topics. Of course, you’ve also got the polls to ask your audience directly about their interests.

Conclusion – How to Write Engaging Content on LinkedIn

Improvising doesn’t work on LinkedIn. Success comes from consistently creating posts that engage, inform, and position you as an authority.

Now, with the LinkedIn content creation strategies we’ve covered, you can:

• Build influence
• Expand your network
• Establish yourself as a thought leader

Not sure how to create content for LinkedIn all by yourself? You actually don’t have to do it. Crackerjack Marketing has experts who can handle the heavy lifting for you.

Contact us today, and we’ll help you build authentic relationships through LinkedIn. We write content that captures your voice and use proven, data-driven strategies that grow your brand.